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The Addams Family
The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, but the musical, which is the first stage show based on the characters, is based upon the cartoons rather than the television and film characters. The Addams Family is also the first production produced by Elephant Eye Theatricals (A Broadway producing organization combining an experienced producing team with the institutional leadership and subscription audiences of fifteen performing arts centers). After a tryout in Chicago, the show opened on Broadway in April 2010. The original cast featured Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia. An original Broadway cast recording was released on June 8, 2010. The Broadway production closed on December 31, 2011. A revised national tour of North America began in September 2011. Development In 2007, the producers announced that they had obtained the rights from the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation to create a musical adaptation of The Addams Family for Broadway, and they anticipated an opening during the 2009–2010 season after an out-of-town tryout. This was the first time that Charles Addams' comic creations were licensed to serve as the basis for a stage production. The musical’s lead producers where Stuart Oken and Roy Furman. In addition to Oken and Furman, Vivek Tiwary also joined The Addams Family musical’s team of producers. The Addams Foundation reportedly retained control over the show's content and insisted that, instead of drawing the plot from The Addams Family television series or films, the production team devise an original musical based solely on Addams' cartoons. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice were engaged to write the book, with Andrew Lippa composing the show's score. Improbable Theatre founders Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott were the original directors and designers, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo. Crouch said that, when brainstorming ideas for the overall appearance of the show, he and McDermott turned to the character of Uncle Fester for inspiration, asking themselves, "If Fester was going to do a Broadway show, what kind of Broadway show would he do?" The partners described the result as "an off-beat take on 19th Century Gothic." Some changes were made after the Chicago tryout. The songs "Clandango", "Passionate and True", "At Seven", and "Second Banana" were replaced with "When You're an Addams, "Where Did We Go Wrong?", "Morticia", and "Just Around the Corner". The songs "One Normal Night", "Full Disclosure, Part 2", "Crazier Than You", "Move Toward the Darkness", and "Tango De Amor" were rewritten. Productions Broadway (2010–2011) The show began previews on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on March 8, 2010, with an official opening night of April 8.The production was originally estimated to cost $10 million, but more recent reports give the budget as $15 million. All of the cast from the tryout transferred to Broadway. The creative team includes direction by McDermott and Crouch, choreography by Trujillo, lighting by Natasha Katz, puppets by Basil Twist, special effects by Gregory Meeh, and orchestrations by Larry Hochman. The show won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design but received no other major awards. However, it did win the Broadway.com Audience Awards for Favorite New Broadway Musical, Favorite Performance by a Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical (Kevin Chamberlin), Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Krysta Rodriguez), and Favorite Onstage Pair (Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth). A May 2011 article in Playbill reported that the show had now grossed over $62 million. The show celebrated its 500th performance on June 16, 2011. Playbill reported in May 2011 that "plans for other international productions are currently underway." Cassandra Peterson was on talks to take over the role of Morticia until the producers decided to close the show at the end of the year. The Broadway production closed on December 31, 2011, after 34 previews and 725 performances. Sydney (2013) The musical premiered at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia, starting in March 2013. The cast includes John Waters as Gomez Addams, Chloe Dallimore as Morticia Addams, Russell Dykstra as Uncle Fester, Teagan Wouters as Wednesday Addams and Ben Hudson as Lurch. On 13 May 2013, it was reported that the show's cast were told the show is closing on 9 June 2013, and will not tour. It is understood the show had struggled at the box office. Buenos Aires (2013-) The musical will begin its Argentinian premiere at Teatro Ópera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, starting in 19th June 2013. It's produced by T4F (Time For Fun) the same company who produced "The Phantom of the Opera" ("O Fantasma da Ópera"/"El Fantasma de la Ópera"), "The Beauty and the Beast" ("A Bela e a Fera"/"La Bella y la Bestia"), "The Sound of Music" ("A Noviça Rebelde"/"La Novicia Rebelde"), Mamma Mia! and in this case, "The Addams Family" ("A Família Addams"/"Los Locos Addams") in São Paulo and Buenos Aires. The cast will include Gabriel Goity as Homero (Gomez) Addams, Julieta Díaz as Morticia Addams, Santiago Ríos as Tío Lucas (Uncle Fester), Gabi Goldberg as Abuela (Grandma) Addams, Alejandro Viola as Coronel Mauricio Beineke (Colonel Mal Beineke), Dolores Ocampo as Alice Beineke, Laura Esquivel as Merlina (Wednesday) Addams, Marcelo Albamonte as Largo (Lurch), and Marco Di Mónaco as Lucas Beineke. Four kids will play Pericles (Pugsley) Addams. Second National Tour (2012–2013) A second tour of North America, produced by Phoenix Entertainment, will launch in 2013. The only known casting at this time is Sam Primack, who will be playing Pugsley Addams. Additional casting to be announced soon. Asian Tour (2013-) After the second national tour, the Addams Family will tour Asia. Casting is yet to be confirmed. So far confirmed dates are Singapore, Macau and Guangzhou. Synopsis ;Act I The ghoulish Addams family is visiting the graveyard for an annual gathering of all family members (living, dead, and undecided) to celebrate what it is to be an Addams ("When You're an Addams"). Uncle Fester stops the Ancestors' return to their graves to enlist their help. He explains that Wednesday, under protest, has invited her new (normal) boyfriend, Lucas Beineke, and his parents, Mal and Alice, to dinner. While torturing Pugsley on a rack, Wednesday admits that love is pulling her in a new direction ("Pulled"). Meanwhile, Morticia and Gomez worry about her changing ways ("Where Did We Go Wrong"). As the Beinekes arrive, Wednesday and Lucas instruct their families to act normal so they can all enjoy a simple dinner ("One Normal Night"). But the moment Lurch ushers the Beinekes into the mansion, tensions begin to mount. Mal wants to tear down the old house, Alice begins to spout happy poems at random, Pugsley, Fester, and Grandma fail at acting normal, and Wednesday, after wearing black for eighteen years, appears in a bright yellow dress. Later, Lucas and Wednesday, away from their families, reveal that the reason they brought their families together is to announce that they are getting married. Gomez and Mal share a drink where Mal is introduced to Bernice, the family's giant pet squid, and Alice admits to Morticia that her marriage to Mal has grown passionless. Morticia then hears Wednesday call her old and worries that she's getting crows feet. She turns down Gomez's request to tango, leaving him alone and unsatisfied ("Morticia"). Meanwhile, Pugsley is worried that Wednesday's lovelife means she won't torture him anymore. He steals a potion from Grandma after she reveals it will bring out someone's dark nature. Pugsley plans to slip it to Wednesday at dinner ("What If?"). At dinner, "The Game" is played, where each person at the table confesses something ("Full Disclosure"). Gomez tells a story about scaring away crows and their feet, but upsets Morticia by accidentally comparing her to a goat, while Uncle Fester admits he's in love with the moon. In a mix-up, Alice drinks Pugsley's potion and in front of everyone declares her marriage to Mal a loveless mess as she reveals her misery and woe ("Waiting"). As Mal, humiliated, attempts to leave with his family, Wednesday announces that she and Lucas are getting married, to which Lucas sheepishly agrees. Chaos engulfs both families, and Uncle Fester, trying to be helpful, instructs the Ancestors to create a sudden, terrible storm, trapping everyone in the mansion for the night ("Full Disclosure - Part 2"). ;Act II During the storm, Wednesday tries to leave, but Lucas wants to stay and work things out with their families, leading the pair to have their first fight. Later, Morticia fears she is no longer relevant to her own family, and reminds herself that death is waiting for her ("Just Around The Corner"). Pugsley asks her if there is a monster under the bed. She tells him there is and he relaxes but cannot bring himself to confess what he did to Alice. Uncle Fester calls for an interlude as he plays his ukulele, singing a love song to the Moon ("The Moon and Me"). Walking out in the yard, Wednesday runs into Gomez. He is happy she's found someone to love, yet sad that his daughter is growing up ("Happy/Sad"). Wednesday is left worrying that she and Lucas are too different. Then as a show of trust, Lucas blindfolds Wednesday and lets her shoot an apple off his head with a crossbow ("Crazier Than You"). She succeeds, and the two embrace. In the grotto, Gomez and Fester attempt to get Mal to open up about his feelings, to no avail ("Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love"). He's ultimately kidnapped by Bernice and pulled into the sewers. Grandma, hearing the word "love", comes to sing with Gomez and Fester ("Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love" (reprise)). Moments after, Alice is led down to the grotto by Lurch where Mal, now back from his swim with Bernice, has learned to appreciate what he has after spending time in the arms of a passionate squid and announces he still loves Alice ("In The Arms"). Gomez now goes up to the rooftop to profess his love for Morticia ("Live Before We Die"). They kiss and begin to tango ("Tango de Amor"). With all the couples reunited, Pugsley admits to slipping the potion to Alice, but is congratulated since it brought everyone together. Uncle Fester, wearing a rocket, tells everyone he's flying off to be with the moon. As the families sing one last ballad, they are all shocked as Lurch sings out loud for the first time, just as a puff of smoke is seen on the moon, signaling Fester has just landed ("Move Toward the Darkness"). Musical numbers Broadway ††Not included on Broadway cast album. US Tour